By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, said he would not make any mistake in his desire to continue to support President Bola Tinubu, describing Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as “A bad child” who lacked gratitude.

The Minister stated this during a “thank you” visit to Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, as part of his ongoing visits across the 23 local government areas of the state to appreciate supporters who stood by him and President Tinubu during the 2023 general elections.

“Today, we are here to say thank you. You have always stood with us.

No matter how tough it looked, you always came through with success. Now that all the forces have come together and are united, it is time to go home and sleep with our eyes closed, knowing that all is well.”

Wike said it would have been wrong to return to the area without first expressing appreciation to the people for their loyalty and support over the years.

He added that, “We are not ungrateful people. When people do good for us, we always come back to say thank you. That is why we are here today, so that tomorrow you will know that when you support us, we will never forget you”.

The former Rivers State Governor who called the tense atmosphere ahead of the 2023 presidential election, said the decision to support Tinubu was a risky one at the time, but noted that it had paid off.

According to him, “In life, you must take risks. In 2023, we did not know how things would turn out, but we made a decision. Today, thank God, it was a good risk and the results are positive’.

Wike praised political leaders, party officials and grassroots supporters in the area for their loyalty, noting that gratitude and accountability remained the foundation of enduring political relationships.

“One thing I can assure you is this: when a man makes a mistake and comes back to say, I am sorry, I made a mistake,’ that mistake can be corrected. No propaganda, no shouting and no battle can solve problems. Only accountability and correction can,” he said.

While stressing on unity over party politics, Wike said political affiliation was no longer the focus of his movement, adding that what mattered was collective commitment to progress.

“Here, we don’t focus on political parties. What we have is a family, a rainbow coalition. If you don’t belong to this family, forget it. After the President, this family will determine the direction of the state,” he declared.

He thanked traditional leaders, political stakeholders, professionals and residents of Asari toru Local Government Area for turning out en masse to receive him, assuring them of his continued support and commitment.

By Mike Udugba

Ondo town is more than a dot on the map of Nigeria; it is a living sanctuary of history, culture, and spirit. It is the ancestral seat of the Osemawe, the custodian of tradition and the spiritual compass of his people. Within this town of deep roots and enduring values lives Adewole Ebenezer Adebayo—quietly, purposefully—whenever he is home in the country and away from his Abuja residence.

His presence in Ondo is not announced by sirens or spectacle, but by an almost meditative simplicity that mirrors the soul of the land itself.

Adebayo is of royal blood, born into a lineage that carries the weight and dignity of the Osemawe throne. He is a man with the pedigree, the preparation, and the poise to one day ascend that ancient seat.

Yet even now, he serves as an unofficial envoy of the Osemawe Kingdom—an ambassador whose reach extends across borders, continents, and conversations, carrying the spirit of Ondo into the wider world.

What is most striking about him, however, is how unassuming he is. You could walk past him on the street and never turn your head twice. He looks like the neighbour next door—no aura of entitlement, no performance of wealth or influence.

There is nothing flamboyant about him, nothing designed to impress at first glance. And yet, beneath that modest exterior lies a depth that only reveals itself with time.
What Adebayo does not display in material excess, he more than compensates for in intellect and enterprise.

Trained as a lawyer, his professional life refuses to be confined to a single discipline. Like an octopus, his reach extends into multiple sectors: agriculture and mechanised farming, legal practice, mining, ranching, media, real estate, and marketing. In every space he occupies, he brings clarity of thought and firmness of execution. He is gifted with words that persuade and ideas that endure.

Young, brilliant, blunt, and deeply practical, he is a man who speaks plainly and acts decisively. It is only when one steps into his expansive, gated compound that the fuller picture begins to emerge. There, five imposing storey buildings rise, all in white colour, each crowned with a rooftop that seems designed not merely for elevation, but for communion—spaces where people gather, converse, and celebrate life.

These buildings are alive with movement, housing family members, friends, and a steady stream of visitors. Behind them stands yet another testament to vision in motion: a glass edifice, also three storeys high, still under construction, quietly declaring that growth is a continuous journey, never a destination. Yet, architecture is not the true marvel of this place. Humanity is.

Within Adebayo’s home, food has no gatekeeper. Hunger is not interrogated; it is simply answered. Visitor or stranger, acquaintance or passerby—once you find yourself within the compound, you are fed. The kitchen operates like a living organism, awake from morning till night. Caterers work relentlessly, preparing meals every single day, not as an act of charity alone, but as a philosophy: that sustenance is a shared human right.
Across more than ten hectares of land, people from all walks of life live, move, and grow. Some are known to Adebayo; many are not.

Names are not a prerequisite for care. They are housed, they are fed, and their children are educated. School fees are paid. School buses—provided by him—move through the environs daily, ferrying students to and from their classrooms with quiet efficiency. Without fanfare or publicity, Adebayo practices philanthropy on a scale that defies assumption. His scholarship scheme, running into hundreds of millions, is guided by just two criteria—be indigent and be brilliant. Nothing more. Nothing less.

And then, there is the rhythm that has recently captured his heart: the marathon. To Adebayo, marathon running is not merely a sport; it is a language. It is a philosophy of life, a social adhesive, a powerful tool for uniting people—especially the youth—around the timeless value of endurance. In a world increasingly obsessed with shortcuts and instant gratification, the marathon stands as a quiet rebellion. It teaches patience. It rewards preparation. It honours discipline.
Marathon, he believes, gives people purpose. It invites them to test their strength and stamina, not against one another alone, but against their own limits. It places individuals side by side on the same road—this is me, this is you—each running at their own pace, yet moving in the same direction.

For Adebayo, success is simply endurance made visible. To succeed, you must plan. You must focus. You must work hard. You must project beyond the present moment. You must prepare for what lies ahead, compete with integrity, and endure with grace. This is true for individuals, and it is equally true for nations. Just as people run their personal races, companies run theirs, communities run theirs, and countries do the same. Development, in its truest form, is not a sprint. It is a marathon.

Though he is deeply involved in numerous sports—judo, basketball, boxing, wrestling, swimming—today, the marathon carries the message. Tomorrow, another discipline may take the stage. What remains constant is the spirit: sportsmanship, discipline, unity, and collective purpose.

A nation of sportspeople, Adebayo insists, is an active nation. Sport is the gateway to good health, to strong moral fibre, and even to national strength and security.
Begin with the young, and you shape the future.

To wake up every morning and train for a marathon scheduled a year away is to learn commitment, patience, and self-belief. It is to understand delayed gratification and to become part of a global community bound by effort, respect, and resilience.

Even the land itself seems to conspire with this vision. Ondo City, with its notable elevation, echoes the highlands that have produced some of the world’s greatest long-distance runners. Just a few kilometres from surrounding ranges, the terrain naturally invites endurance and rewards discipline. The soil, the air, the incline—all seem to whisper the same message: keep going.

In Ondo, through the vision of one man, the marathon has become more than a race. It has become a bridge—between people and purpose, privilege and service, strength and compassion. It is a bridge between today’s disciplined effort and tomorrow’s united nation, steadily running toward a future shaped not by haste, but by endurance.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State has commenced electronic membership registration.

This is part of strategies aimed at strengthening internal party democracy and organisation.

The distribution of registration materials to agents commenced at the party secretariat in Ota-Ona area of Ikorodu on Monday.

The registration will be conducted in all the 30 wards of the council.

The items distributed to agents include iPads, printer and paper reams.

At the occasion, Olasunkanmi Tijani, APC Ikorodu Divisional Chairman, urged members to show commitment and participate in the exercise.

According to him, Ikorodu LGA has set the pace by giving the highest votes to APC during the legislative, Governorship and presidential elections at the last general election in 2023 in Lagos state.

“The programme has been gazetted to be done from the wards and whatever you do from the wards is good to go.

“After the ward, we are going down to the zones, the moment you get to the zones, it is as if you are going to register nearly everybody in an area.

“The strategy is, moving from wards to zones, and from zones to streets, you will be surprised that we may even get more than what we thought,” he said.

In his remarks, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, former Deputy Gov. of Lagos state, said the gadgets have been certified, adding that the only challenge is the network.

Ogunleye emphasised the need to encourage new members to join the party, adding that the platform responds to growing interest from Nigerians eager to identify with the APC’s programmes and reforms.

“The registration items have been tested and confirmed, the only challenge is probably when there is no network.

“With the stipulated 25 days earmarked for the registration, I am sure of having more than the last votes as everyone is interested in joining APC,” he said.

Similarly, Olorunfunni Bashorun, former Secretary to the Lagos state Government, said the programme would increase the number of members as well as improve the dividend of democracy.

Ezekiel Folorunsho, one of the agents, expressed gratitude to the leadership of the party for the commencement of the exercise after undergoing several training sessions and advised colleagues to take proper care of the gadgets for optimal results.